A conventional method of manufacturing laminated ceramic capacitor 11, a laminated ceramic electronic device, will be described below. FIG. 5A is a partially cut-out perspective view of laminated ceramic capacitor 11. FIG. 5B is a sectional view of capacitor 11. Dielectric layers 12 and inner electrodes 13 are stacked alternately, thus providing laminated body 12A. Edges of inner electrodes 13 expose alternately at end surfaces 12B of laminated body 12A opposite to each other, and are connected alternately to outer electrodes 14 formed on both end surfaces 12B.
A conventional method of manufacturing laminated ceramic capacitor 11 disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-168897 will be described below.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the conventional method of manufacturing the ceramic electronic device.
Ceramic dielectric powder made mainly of barium titanate is mixed with binder, plasticizer, and solvent, thus providing slurry (paste). The slurry (paste) is shaped into plural ceramic sheets which are to be dielectric layers 12. Conductive paste, which provides inner electrodes 13, containing metal is printed on the sheets, thus providing conductive layers (step S901). The sheets are stacked, providing a laminated body (step S902). The laminated body, i.e., the sheets and the conductive paste, are fired together at 1200° C. to 1300° C., thus providing sintered laminated body (sintered body) 12A (step S903). Then, outer electrodes 14 are formed, thus providing laminated ceramic capacitor 11. Capacitor 11 thus provided are selected according to characteristics, such as a capacitance and a dielectric loss, before its shipment (step S905).
The capacitance of capacitor 11 depends largely on a printing situation of the conductive paste providing inner electrode 13. That is, the conductive paste including a large amount of metal provides a large capacitance, and the conductive paste including a small amount of the metal provides a small capacitance. The capacitance is measured generally after capacitor 11 is provided. Hence, while a defective of the capacitance caused by the amount of the metal is produced during the printing of the conductive paste, the defective is found after the final process of manufacturing capacitor 11. This defective accordingly reduces the efficiency of the manufacturing of capacitors 11.